Red Barn Cyclocross Classic

Enjoy



High Quality versions of photos available upon request.

At Red Barn CX we want to put on the best possible race we can! We love to hear positive feedback and want to share some of what people have been saying about our race! Let the shameless self promotion begin! :-)

Once again the Red Barn folks out did themselves today! Thanks you for a fantastic event, even though I lost the costume contest (I am gunning for you next year Cullen and Cleary!) I had a fantastic time and I all the door prizes were sweet.- Super Rookie

Thanks Ericksens for another great Red Barn Cross. I missed it last year due the the USGP's in Boulder and forgot what a great venue and course layout it was! Now that "Hack" David Hackworthy has upgraded to A's I have sort of lost my purpose, other than having fun and today was the best. I wish we could race out there a couple of times a season. Saw some pretty good costumes out there as well, I was diggin' Margo's Bunny or Dog suit? - Paul Schoening

Thanks for putting on a great race. The organization and course marking were top notch. - jadleman

i too had a wonderful time. Great job promoter. Custom h2o bottles, goody bags, raffle, beautiful day. - peetanderson

The 3rd annual Red Barn CX Classic smashed its participant record with 163 racers competing in yesterday's events. We couldn't have asked for a better day and the racing was intense. Big thanks to all the volunteers and our sponsors; County Cycles, Erickson Brothers Tree Farm, Hammer Nutrition, and Wild Mountain for making this race possible!

C Race Recap
Jake Helmbrecht (ua) took the C race with Greg Lavick (WUSH) and Aaron Kadera (Gopher wheelmen) rounding out the top 3 on the men's side. In the womens race, Amy Campbell (ua) took top honors with Lee Penn (Gopher wheelmen) and June Sayers (Lake Superior) taking 2nd and 3rd respectively. We also had some fantastic junior competition with Raymon Warns-Ledesma (MNJRC) winning the C3 category (juniors 15-18) and also taking 11th overall. He was followed by Zach Stillwell (ua) and Nora Bengel (ua). In the C4 category (juniors 10-14) Jordan Cullen (Loon State) took the victory with Adam Kay (Riverbrook Momentum) and Ryan Kay (Riverbrook Momentum) taking 2nd and 3rd.

B Race Recap
In the B race Guy Alvarez (Crossniacs) eventually broke away from a tough battle with 2nd place finisher Peter Nelson (Brones). These two were neck and neck for the first part until Guy rode away. Chris Neulin (Team Weston) rounded out the top 3. In the women's race Linda Sone (Ridley Factory) took the win while in costume! She was closely followed by Margot Herman (Hollywood Cycles) and Casey Cessna (IS Corp) to round out the top three. In the masters (B2) race, Bill Kuster (Loon State) took the victory with Jeff Collbeth (ua) in second and Paul McKinney (Hub) in third.

A Race Recap
Talk about intense! Doug Swanson (Grand Stay) was able to ride away from the field for a concivincing win. The bad luck prize should go to Adam Bergman (Colivita) who was solidly in second place and riding hard when he rolled a tubular. I'm not sure how much of the course he had to run to get back to the pit. On top of that, in some crazy drama he got tangled up with another rider on the last lap, trashing his replacement wheel! Aric Harland (Silver Cycling) capitalized and took second place honors. Dewey Dicky (Mercy Specialized) rounded out the top, riding away from David Hackworthy (Ridley) and Paul Ellis (Bianchi GP). Hackworthy (Ridley), who just upgraded from the Bs, took fourth overall and the victory in the A2 category. Rounding out the top 3 in the A2 category were David Meyer (ua) and Matt Allen (Grumpy's). In the Master's race (A3), Dan Casper (Grandstay) fended off Peter Maxwell (Birchwood) and Ed Alpssa (Bianchi GP).

For full results check out the MCF Message Board.

The good folks at County Cycles in Roseville have upped the ante! This complete Bianchi Pista (55cm), along with some other schwag, will be given away to one lucky Red Barn CX participant. Who says you can't give a track bike away at a cross race! All race participants are eligible, however, you must be present to win! The drawing for the bike will be held after the A race is complete.

Costume Contest

The best costume in each race (C, B, & A), will be judged by the one and only Mark Kotz. The wearer of the best costume in each race will be the proud recipient of a $30 gift certificate to County Cycles. There will only be one prize per race (men and women will not be judged separately). In addition, it is rumored that large amounts of candy may also be included in the prize list!

Clarification (added 9:17pm) - To be eligible for the costume contest you must complete the race in costume.

Single Speed


While we won't be offering specific single speed categories this year, we are impressed by the increased number of yahoos riding them ;-) Based on the number of riders this year, we will likely add a specific single speed category to next year's repertoire. However, we have decided to offer a great prize to the top single speed in each race! The top finisher on a single speed in each or race (A, B, & C), will be awarded a Surly Jethro Tule! We through this 15mm wrench/bottle opener would be appreciated.

Saturday's event schedule is as follows:

11:00 am - Registration opens
Please arrive early so you have plenty of time to check out the course and be ready to start on time.

11:15 - Course opens for pre-riding

12:00 - C Race 30 minutes

12:45 - B Race 45 minutes

1:45 - A Race 60 minutes

Awards will follow each race.

Door prizes to follow A race.

Also, due to some technical difficulties, I've posted the race flyer as an image in case you are not able to open the .pdf.


Costume Contest prizes to be announced tomorrow night!

The Red Barn CX course is looking great! We walked the course this afternoon and it is holding up very well, especially with all the rain we've been getting. We made the decision not to use the new addition as it just changed the flow of our course too much. We'd be interested in some rider feedback on Saturday if anyone would like to check it out. For the last two years Red Barn has had great weather, sunny and warm. This year's course is sure to offer some new challenges with moisture and cooler weather . . . I wonder what it would take to make it an epic year?

Some reminders:
Race Flyer is linked - find it under the Red Barn logo on the right hand side of the page.

Costume Contest - Back by popular demand, we are hosting a costume contest. Prize list and details to be announced later this week.

Directions: for directions to Erickson Brothers Tree Farm, click here (or see map below)

Spectators Welcome!


View Larger Map

The 2007 MN Cyclocross Rider of the Year series kicked off this weekend with two great events, the Red River CX Challenge in Moorhead, MN and the Porkchop Challenge in St. Cloud, MN.

In Moorhead: Aric Hareland held off Dan Swanson and Pat Lemieux for 1st place honors in the A race with Steve Wenzel and Greg Rohde taking the Men's B and C races respectively. In the women's fields, Linda Cooper beat out Margot Herman and Casey Cessna in the B race and Marilyn Laliberte took honors in the C race. For complete results and photos coming soon, check out: Great Plains Cycling

SkinnySki was in St. Cloud and as always they have some great photos on their site. I've copied their race report here:
"Minnesota's cyclocross season fired up this weekend with events in Moorhead and St. Cloud. The Porkchop Challenge at Riverside Park Sunday experienced conditions more like mid-July than September as afternoon temperatures climbed into the 80s. All three events had strong numbers, emphasizing the growing popularity of cyclocross in the Midwest. Pre-race favorites Aric Hareland and Doug Swanson put on an early showcase, easily leading the field for the first few laps before mechanicals opened the door for veteran Dewey Dickey to take the A race victory. Linda Cooper won the top womens race, pulling away from Linda Sone and the tired legs of Chequamegon champ Jenna Zander."
Be sure to check out Skinnyski.com for more event photos and great coverage of events in the Minnesota!

The final work on the Red Barn course addition was completed this weekend and awaits test riding. We'll post some photos if possible before the race. In either case, we're geared up and ready to go!

Corey Coogan interviewed the 2006 Cyclocross Rider of the Year, Aric Hareland a few days ago. Aric had some nice words to say about our venue in Taylors Falls. Okay, so he just mentioned it, but we're glad to know he liked the race! I've include the full interview here. You can also view it here: http://skinnyski.com/racing/display.asp?Id=9381

Interview: Aric Hareland

A North Dakota native, Hareland began his endurance sports career competing in running at the high school and collegiate levels.

Hareland, who has a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology, is an instructor at both The Firm-Minneapolis and The Fix. He is well-known for his yoga instruction from a cyclist's perspective.

1. Where are you originally from? What sports did you do as a junior?
   Fargo, ND.
   As a junior, I didn’t race bikes at all. I was into bikes, rode a bit, but wasn’t very aware of races. I ran cross country, track and was a swimmer in high school then got an athletic scholarship to run in college.
2. When did you begin riding?
   I did a little bit of BMX when I was a little kid until I got my first road bike when I was 12. It was a red Trek 330. Right after I got this bike, I did a bicentennial bike ride across North Dakota with a group of about 100. 5 days and 365 miles and I rode everyday and the complete distance. When I was 13, I did my first crit: The Fargo Downtown Crit—I was lapped once on a 10-lap race.
3. It appears that you once ran track for Valley City State and then rode for North Dakota State. How did your collegiate racing affect your athletic development?
   Running in High school and college really helped me develop as an athlete. Running gave me that mental edge that taught me how to suffer. In college I ran mostly the steeplechase along with some other middle distance races. This makes cyclocross actually quite simple because the barriers are only 16 inches compared to 36 inches in the steeplechase.
4. Rumor has it, you once did a long-distance ride across much or all of the country. Tell us about this experience.
   I could go on and on about this. In 1999 between my Junior and Senior year in college, I took my Bianchi touring bike and hopped on an Amtrak out to Seattle, WA. Leaving from Seattle at 9:30am, I rode up the coast and then started across the country. I rode through Washington, Idaho, Northern Montana and took a pit stop for 2 days in my hometown of Fargo. This first part of the trek only took me 3 weeks. From Fargo, I zigzagged through Minnesota, then I took one day to ride across Wisconsin (Somerset to Ironwood), crossed the UP of Michigan and up into Canada north of the Great Lakes, came back down to Niagara Falls across Northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and I ended up in a hostel in Bar Harbor, ME.
   Total Trip: 4500 miles and it took me two months.
   I never paid for a campsite. Instead I slept in my bivy tent in small city parks, under bridges and a few times in bars (don’t ask)—oh and also at the Stillwater Fire Department (They make great pancakes there).
5. I'm told that you work for TheFix and teach yoga. What classes do you teach there? How is yoga valuable for cyclists?
   I teach one class a week on Sundays at The Fix during the winter months. I also teach Spin and Yoga at The Firm over on Glenwood Avenue.
   Yoga is incredibly valuable for cyclist. In cycling, the core of your movement comes from the hips. If your hips are weak, then your upper body has to work harder and this can eventually cause back strain.
   Also think about one of the main muscles at work during biking: a cyclist’s quads tend to become overdeveloped. To compensate for this, your hamstrings shorten and can become incredibly weak.
   I often hear from cyclists that they do not do yoga because they are not flexible. The best way to improve in any sport is to increase your flexibility and your concentration.
6. Your name can be found in results sheets across all disciplines: road, track, CX, and even occasionally MTB. What is your favorite and why?
   That’s a pretty tough question.
   In road racing, there is nothing better than a fast technical crit. There is always action and it seems like your heart rate never falls below 170. I’ve raced at Superweek the last two years in a row and I can never get enough of the crits, especially when you throw in some 180 degree turns.
   Cyclocross is the same way—they start out extremely fast and they seem like they never slow down. In the last few years, I have always looked forward to riding my bike in September mostly because of the weather, but also because I am able to jump on my cyclocross bike.
7. You are the defending champion of the Minnesota Cycling Federation Cyclocross Rider of the Year. What are your CX plans for the fall? What are some of your favorite CX races?
   My plan for the 2007 CX season is to be the 2007 cyclocross rider of the year (ha, ha). It would be nice to repeat, but there are a lot of races and some good young cross racers out there. I will mostly be racing once a weekend but I may double up on both Saturday and Sunday a few times. I also plan on racing Jingle Cross in Iowa and I will also be heading down to Cross Nationals this year.
   Favorite cross races: Without a doubt, I would have to say Basset Creek (state cross) is top notch. Also Hudson, Taylors Falls and Boom Island have great venues. There is no bad race out there, every course I’ve done I have walked away with a smile on my face whether I have won or lost.
8. What advice would you give to someone with either a road or mountain bike background who is eager to try CX for the first time?
   Don’t be too serious about it at first, otherwise you are going to set yourself up for disaster. Burn out is an easy thing, especially when there are 14 races on the cyclocross calendar. I would start out and do a few of the closer to metro races as you can (Boom island, Powderhorn, Blaine, Ham Lake and Basset Creek). The Wednesday night series as Boom Island is also pretty fun and I know that The Hub does a training ride on Tuesday nights if you can make that.

We're pleased to announce Hammer Nutrition as a 2007 Red Barn CX Classic sponsor. This is the second year in a row we've partnered with Hammer Nutrition to help bring you the best event we can. As always, Hammer Nutrition has a great line of products and you can find more information at their website: http://www.hammernutrition.com

Course Addition
The new section on the course is shaping up nicely. We finished clearing stumps and now just need to do a little rock clearing, cut the grass and do a little fine tuning. The new loop takes advantage of a greater part of the ravine near our run-up and crosses a stream bed. The stream is dry most of the year, running only in the spring and during heavy heavy rains. We thought crossing a stream would be cool, but there will probably never be water in this one in October. In any case, it adds some fun and exciting terrain.


pre stump clearing

post

More Prize $$
In addition, we've upped the A race prize money. Red Barn has always felt that people race because they love it, not because they might pocket a few bucks - although that never hurts. Thus we've upped the ante - The A race prize money now goes 5 deep at $50/40/30/20/10. As always, we still have a number of great give-a-ways and arguably the best medals around - not to mention the free hot dogs!

Erik and Mark scoped out the course today along with a possible new addition. The farm roads are all in good shape and the run-up looks great. We're hoping to partner with the neighboring campground again to be able to offer a wider variety of terrain. Stay tuned for future course updates.

We're always interested to know what you think makes a great CX course, so please leave a comment.

The Minnesota CX season begins in only two weeks with the Red River CX Challenge in Moorhead, Minn. Along with that, the Boom Island Training series is gearing up and I copied a post from the MCF message board below. It is time to start thinking cross!

<<
Boom Island Training Series
We are only 2 weeks away from the start of Cyclocross!!! I have been getting some inquiries already about the series, Boom Island is on! So, here is the deal on the Wed. Boom Island Training series. The series starts Sept. 5th and runs every Wed. night until October 10th. Open riding will start around 5:30 and parking encouraged off of main and Plymouth Ave. near the harbor. Payment is required to park there, however you can also park on Main St. NE on the NE corner of the park where we start the clinic and training.

The Wed. series course will be up above along main street near the abandoned road section of the course. Clinics will start around 6:00 and the training race around 6:30 and will run 30 minutes. We again plan to follow a strict curriculum that spans over the 6-week series. It is imperative to attend as many of these as you can to get the full benefit. I decided to start the series earlier this year to get riders focused on cross before the season started for a greater benefit during the season. This is a great place to start and learn cyclocross at all levels. There is a nominal fee of $10 which covers park permits, USCF permits and insurance. The clinic is free with your entry.

Look forward to the season start and seeing everyone out there again!

Thanks,
Paul Schoening
Ridley Factory Team Director
>>

Course preparations for the 2007 Red Barn CX are schedule to begin this week! We are excited to build off of last year's course improvements and create the best CX course possible. The trademark run-up and twisting turns through fields of pine tress are sure to stay. Check back for photos of any new additions to the course.

We're also happy to announce that County Cycles of Roseville, MN will continue its sponsorship of the event. Be sure to check them out for all your CX needs!